A report which had been produced at the request of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, presented recommendations for changes to Council rules 8 and 9 in the Constitution which relate to questions from the public and Members at Council meetings.

The revisions to Council Rule 8 (Questions by the Public) and Council Rule 9 (Questions by Members) give effect to the following changes:

Closer alignment of the rules for questions at Council meetings from the public and Members (but with the retention of 30 minutes for public questions and 20 minutes for questions from Members);

removal of a facility for second and supplementary questions;

limiting any person, organisation or Member to no more than one question at each Council meeting;

discontinuation of the practice of allowing substitutes to ask questions if a questioner cannot be present with a written answer to be supplied after the meeting instead;

introduction of a rule which limits the time allowed for answers provided to questions at Council minutes to three minutes; and

amendment of Council rule 8.3 so that the final sentence reads "Any questions that have not received a response within the times limits will receive a written reply after the meeting", as a response to the suggestion of the Independent Person under the Councillor Conduct regime.

To view the list of councillors who voted in favour or against the motion, those who abstained and those who were absent, click on the appropriate heading.

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